Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a relatively new technology of magnetic resonance imaging,
which enables us to observe the insight structure of the human body in vivo and non-invasively.
It displays water molecule movement by a 3×3 diffusion tensor at each voxel. Tensor field
processing, visualisation and tractography are all based on the diffusion tensors. The accuracy
of estimating diffusion tensor is essential in DTI.
This research focuses on exploring the potential improvements at the tensor estimation
of DTI. We analyse the noise arising in the measurement of diffusion signals. We present
robust methods, least median squares (LMS) and least trimmed squares (LTS) regressions,
with forward search algorithm that reduce or eliminate outliers to the desired level. An
investigation of the criterion to detect outliers is provided in theory and practice. We compare
the results with the generalised non-robust models in simulation studies and applicants and
also validated various regressions in terms of FA, MD and orientations. We show that the
robust methods can handle the data with up to 50% corruption. The robust regressions have
better estimations than generalised models in the presence of outliers.
We also consider the multiple tensors problems. We review the recent techniques of
multiple tensor problems. Then we provide a new model considering neighbours’ information,
the Bayesian single and double tensor models using neighbouring tensors as priors, which
can identify the double tensors effectively. We design a framework to estimate the diffusion
tensor field with detecting whether it is a single tensor model or multiple tensor model.
An output of this framework is the Bayesian neighbour (BN) algorithm that improves the
accuracy at the intersection of multiple fibres. We examine the dependence of the estimators
on the FA and MD and angle between two principal diffusion orientations and the goodness
of fit. The Bayesian models are applied to the real data with validation. We show that the
double tensors model is more accurate on distinct fibre orientations, more anisotropic or
similar mean diffusivity tensors.
The final contribution of this research is in covariance tensor estimation. We define
the median covariance matrix in terms of Euclidean and various non-Euclidean metrics taking its symmetric semi-positive definiteness into account. We compare with estimation
methods, Euclidean, power Euclidean, square root Euclidean, log-Euclidean, Riemannian
Euclidean and Procrustes median tensors. We provide an analysis of the different metric
between different median covariance tensors. We also provide the weighting functions and
define the weighted non-Euclidean covariance tensors. We finish with manifold-valued
data applications that improve the illustration of DTI images in tensor field processing
with defined non-weighted and weighted median tensors. The validation of non-Euclidean
methods is studied in the tensor field processing. We show that the root square median
estimator is preferable in general, which can effectively exclude outliers and clearly shows
the important structures of the brain. The power Euclidean median estimator is recommended
when producing FA map.

Research has shown that a high number of South Asian people suffer with mental health problems and that South Asian women specifically, are at high risk of attempting self -harm or suicide. However, there seems to be a low uptake of the mainstream services offered by the South Asian community as a whole, compared to their white counterparts. Furthermore, the existing literature in this area is scarce and focuses on identifying barriers that South Asian women face in accessing help.
This mixed methods study explored the mental health help seeking experiences of British born South Asian women. For the first part of the study, six (N=six) women who had successfully accessed therapy were interviewed and the qualitative data was analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) framework for thematic analysis. The main superordinate themes identified included: therapy as a positive experience, perseverance and persistence, need to know basis, fears about being judged, the need for more publicising and awareness, recovery as an ongoing process, medical professionals needing to be more proactive, developing autonomy and putting your own needs first, developing understanding and the importance of the first step. Various subordinate themes were identified for some of these main superordinate themes.
The second part of this study involved delivering a psycho educational workshop (which was partly based on the qualitative data generated in the first part of the study) to a group of South Asian women (N=25). Their attitude towards help seeking was measured before, immediately after and four weeks after the workshop using Fischer and Farina’s (1995) Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale.
An ANOVA Test indicated a statistically significant difference in attitudes to help
seeking before, immediately after and four weeks after the workshop.
This study helped to get a better understanding of the experiences of a marginalised group and demonstrated how such information can be used to develop new and innovative interventions that can be used with a client group that appear to have low levels of engagement with and referral to mental health services.

There has been a surge in the involvement of service users and carers in health and social care education, research, and practice in the last three decades within the United Kingdom. However, there are few studies that have evaluated the impact of Involvement in health and social care students’ education. This study explored the impact of active involvement in Adult Nursing and Social Work pre-registration education. It provided a tripartite perspective from the perceptions of the three main stakeholders involved: students, academic staff and service users/carers in a specific Higher Education setting in the United Kingdom.
A concurrent embedded mixed-methods approach was employed in this study. The study sample was drawn from the three participating stakeholder groups. A total of 38 participants took part in this study. Qualitative information was gathered using semi-structured interviews and focus groups, which explored participants’ perspectives of the impact of active involvement in Adult Nursing and Social Work pre-registration degrees. Questionnaires was the data collection tool for the quantitative information required in this study. Questionnaire was helpful in obtaining contextual information about the participants and service users and carers’ involvement at the research site. It was used to gather factual information about the participants and the current nature of the involvement in Adult Nursing and Social Work pre-registration degree as it was being practiced at the time of data collection and characteristics that may influence or affect the impact of involvement
Qualitative data was analysed thematically from the semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Additionally, descriptive and cross-tab analysis of quantitative data was carried out. Then, a side-by-side comparison was used to identify aspects of the qualitative and quantitative findings that were convergent and conflicting.
Findings of this study indicated that the scope and integration of service users and carers in educational activities varied greatly within and between subjects even within the same university. Social Work degree reported a wider scope and greater inclusion than the Adult nursing degree. Two main factors account for this notable differences between the two degrees. These are: the duration of involvement being a regulatory requirement by the Professional Regulatory and Statutory Bodies as well as the duration of conducting involvement.
Furthermore, this study revealed that involvement influences all three main stakeholders in Higher Education. Some beneficial outcomes of involvement were similar in the academic staff and students’ participant groups. Academic staff and service users/carers raised similar concerns. Overall, the participants indicated that service users and carers’ involvement is generally positive and makes an important and unique contribution to the education of nurses and Social Workers supporting the delivery of patient/client-centred care.
This study contributed to new knowledge about involvement in Adult Nursing and Social Work pre-registration degrees by generating a holistic view of its impact. This was achieved by exploring these impacts from a tripartite perspective of the three main stakeholders in Higher Education. This study also developed a modified six rung model that helps to involvement is active and meaningful.
A partnership framework was proposed to inform future involvement practices and research about ways of optimising the beneficial outcomes and limiting the inhibitory factors of service users and carers’ involvement in students’ education. Overall, this study provided insights into best practices and pitfalls to avoid, which may be of value to HE providers, education commissioners as well as Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies regarding the practices of service users and carers’ involvement in Higher Education.

Associated natural gas is produced as a by-product from crude oil exploration and production. When perceived as a non-desirable product, it is wasted during gas flaring. Globally, about 100 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) of gas is flared annually, leading to release of about 300 million tons of carbon dioxide yearly into the environment. Russia and Nigeria flare more than other countries to the tune of 35.5 and 18.27 BCM, respectively. The consequence of gas flaring has continued to pose significant threats to the environment as well as the economy of oil and gas producing countries. Therefore, this research is aimed at developing a sustainable framework that could enable management of flared gas in an oil and gas environment by generating energy and also minimise environmental impact that arises from gas flaring process. Three major research gaps were identified and they include lack of existing gas flare management framework in Nigeria, lack of economic evaluation of gas to wire (GTW) technology for flared gas reduction and, lack of cordial relationship and understanding between oil and gas producing/flaring companies and electricity producing sectors towards gas flare management. A qualitative research strategy was employed – utilising the single case study approach with embedded units of analysis. Three case study companies were used - one oil and gas producing company, and two electricity-generating companies. Data collection involved semi structured interviews, documentation, observation, and review of relevant literature. Data was analysed using QSR Nvivo version 10. A framework for flared gas reduction was developed based on literature review and also from information made available by experts operating in the oil and gas and electricity sectors. The framework shows inputs from various stakeholders, as well as an evaluation of volume of gas produced, utilized and flared. An economic assessment of GTW technology was carried out to determine the cost effectiveness of the framework. Findings from the study showed that GTW is a viable means of management, and could reduce the total volume of flared gas in Nigeria to 7.1%. This reduces environmental, health and safety hazards. It is also economically profitable. A total capital investment of £1.64b is required in the Nigerian context, with a net profit of £1.26b/year, and has a rate of return of investment of 16.3%. This study has demonstrated that GTW is a sustainable technology for reducing flared gas in Nigeria and other countries facing similar challenges as Nigeria; and capable of minimising adverse environmental and health impact associated with gas flaring. Therefore, the developed framework is also recommended for effective management of flared gas in such countries.

As a response to recent calls for further insights into the factors that trigger board processes, this research investigated the determinants of trust in the boardroom. Following a review of existing literature on boards, a model explicating the hypothesised relationships between trust and its determinants (cognitive conflict, communication efficacy, the perception of board members’ competence, affective conflict, and familiarity), and the moderating effects of board meeting frequency and board tenure, was developed. This model was tested using responses from 97 UK companies. There were two significant findings: the perception of board members’ competence was positively related to trust, whereas affective conflict was negatively related to trust. Previous research has suggested that trust is an important determinant of board effectiveness, and this study contributes to the further understanding of what conditions in the boardroom facilitate or hinder the presence of trust. Thus, this research presents further knowledge on board processes and how they relate to each other. In terms of implications for practice, the research showed why boards of directors should engage in activities such as training and development that increase directors’ perception of each others’ competencies and why emotional conflict in the boardroom should be managed.

Background: The aims of this qualitative research were to explore a range of challenges encountered by mothers coping with infant sleep difficulties, and subsequent impacts on the transition to becoming a parent. The intention was twofold – to raise awareness amongst practitioner psychologists that “many new mothers experience some level of emotional distress and all deserve systematic and compassionate support” (Boots Family Trust, p.1), with particular reference to early relationship formation, and to encourage opportunities for translation from multidisciplinary research into practice. Method: Five semi-structured interviews were conducted. Four with mothers who were either experiencing, or had in the past experienced sleep difficulties with their babies. The fifth was with a professional ante-natal educator, herself a mother. The interviews were transcribed and analysed according to a constructivist version of grounded theory methodology guided by Charmaz (2006). Analysis: A central narrative of ‘the wearing mask of transition’ was developed from four analytic categories: being me’, ‘being pushed to the limit’, ‘relationships’ and ‘coping, learning and trusting’. The interconnectedness of the categories was conveyed via the visual translation of the proposed pluralistic model – ‘the coping mask of transition’. Conclusion: After having been neglected within mainstream mental health services, perinatal mental wellbeing is currently being prioritised, representing a unique opportunity for multidisciplinary consultation and sharing of expertise and training. The ‘normal’ experiences of the women interviewed were revealed as emotionally complex. They worked through their sleep deprivation and distress feeling largely unsupported, and often unwilling to disclose even to partners the extent of their difficulties. It is hoped that this small-scale study, with its focus on a non-clinical population, and the significance of maternal mental and emotional wellbeing and outcomes for children, will encourage professionals to consider the distressing impacts of ‘normal’ sleep disturbance and deprivation within the broader context of this major life transition.

Background It has been reported that dancers are at greater risk of developing low bone mineral density (BMD) compared to general population; however, some published studies also highlight the positive effects of dance training on bone metabolism. Given the existing controversy, the aim of the current work was a) to investigate bone health status of professional ballet dancers and vocational dance students, and b) to investigate associated factors and mechanisms involved in dancers’ bone health. Design Cross-sectional, longitudinal analysis (2-yrs follow-up) and genetic association studies were conducted on a population which consisted of professional ballet dancers, vocational dance students and controls. Methods The total of 58 professional ballet dancers (66 sex- aged-matched controls), and 152 vocational dance students (96 aged- and sex-matched controls) were screened for BMD status at impact [femoral neck (FN); lumbar spine (LS)] and non-impact sites (forearm). Tanner staging, age at menarche and menstrual status were assessed via questionnaires. Bone mass, nutrition, peak height velocity estimation, energy availability, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1), oestrogens, growth hormone, and sclerostin serum concentrations were longitudinally measured in a sub-sample of 101 vocational dance students and age- and sex-matched controls. Association between polymorphisms of the Wnt/β-catenin and ER signalling pathways with low BMD were further investigated. Results Female vocational dance students were more likely to display low BMD at the forearm and LS than controls (OR= 0.1; p<0.05 and OR=0.2; p<0.05, respectively); the prevalence of low BMD at the forearm was significantly higher in female professional ballet dancers than controls (37.5% vs. 17.4%, p<0.001). During the follow-up, both female and male vocational dancers revealed significantly lower BMD at impact and non-impact sites (p<0.001) compared to controls. Serum IGF-1 concentrations were significantly increased in vocational dancers compared to controls at 2yrs follow-up (p<0.05), as well as serum sclerostin (p<0.05). Genetic variants at the Wnt/β-catenin and ER signalling pathways were identified as risk factors for low BMD at both impact and non-impact sites. Conclusion Professional dancers and vocational dance students have lower bone health compared to controls. Genetic mechanisms seem to be determinant. It is recommend that dancers performing at elite level should be referred for bone densitometry.

This thesis theorises the practice of three female British dance artists, Miranda Tufnell, Helen Poynor and Hilary Kneale. It engages with the central idea that a combined practice of creative writing and movement improvisation enhances the artist's articulation and assimilation of the experience of dance, consequently developing a deeper connection to the experiences of the body in relation to one's environment. Refuting common perception that the inadequacy of language fails to embody the experience of dance, I argue that the approaches used by these women contribute to a distillation of experience thus revealing the essence of movement. Importantly, it focuses on practices that have been born of the feminist consciousness that facilitated the development of both British postmodern dance and women's writing since 1970. As a result, I utilise Elizabeth Grosz's notions of freedom and writing otherwise, and David Abram's Merleau-Pontian ideas on participation to underpin theoretical endeavours. Fieldwork, in the form of interviews and the participation in/observation of various performances, workshops and training programmes, run by each of the dance artists studied, is presented. The development of my own practice resulting from these enquires is documented, analysed and appraised throughout the thesis. The Introduction outlines research questions addressed and methodological approaches undertaken before considering the historical context of each artist's unique practice. Each case study is preceded by a chapter that identifies biographical circumstances, creative choices, and socio-political conditions that have influenced the careers of these dance artists. The function of writing as a bridge between the subjective embodied experience and objective analysis of that experience is examined alongside an assessment of the scope of each practice as a method of harvesting a [re]connection with nature and its power to generate self-affirming stories. Finally, the conclusion offers thoughts on the difficulties of such an endeavour within the framework of contemporary thought that maintains its stance on the split between [body]dance and [mind]written language.

Current Automatic Palmprint Identification Systems (APIS) closely follow the matching philosophy of Automatic Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS), in that they exclusively use a small subset of Level II palmar detail, when matching a latent to an exemplar palm print. However, due the increased size and the significantly more complex structure of the palm, it has long been recognised that there is much detail that remains underutilised. Forensic examiners routinely use this additional information when manually matching latents. The thesis develops novel automatic feature extraction and matching methods which exploit the underutilised Level I detail contained in the friction ridge flow. When applied to a data base of exemplars, the approach creates a ranked list of matches. It is shown that the matching success rate varied with latent size. For latents of diameter 38mm, 91:1% were ranked first and 95:6% of the matches were contained within the ranked top 10. The thesis presents improved orientation field extraction methods which are optimised for friction ridge flow and novel enhancement techniques, based upon the novel use of local circular statistics on palmar orientation fields. In combination, these techniques are shown to provide a more accurate orientation estimate than previous work. The novel feature extraction stages exploit the level sets of higher order local circular statistics, which naturally segment the palm into homogeneous regions representing Level I detail. These homogeneous regions, characterised by their spatial and circular features, are used to form a novel compact tree-like hierarchical representation of the Level I detail. Matching between the latent and an exemplar is performed between their respective tree-like hierarchical structures. The methods developed within the thesis are complementary to current APIS techniques.

Background/Aim: Historical evidences indicate that maternal health care by a skilled birth attendant is one of the key strategies for maternal survival. However, the rate of maternity care utilisation and reduction of maternal death is very low in Nigeria. This study was designed to investigate factors influencing access to emergency obstetric care with a view to guiding programmatic efforts targeted at overcoming these barriers and also contribute to health reforms in Nigeria. Hence, the need to understand factors influencing access to emergency obstetric care in Nigeria using the Socio-ecological Model (SEM) and Gender and Development (GAD) to identify associated factors operating at different levels.
Methods: A mixed method was employed for this study. Data collection used questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Questionnaires were distributed to 330 respondents of which 318 of them were retrieved and qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted for 6 participants. Data collection were done using a sequential approach. The study was conducted in one of the tertiary health facilities in Nigeria from January-April, 2015, amongst mothers aged 15-45 years meeting the study inclusion criteria. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used in analysing the quantitative data. Bivariate and logistic regressions were conducted for the quantitative data whilst a qualitative content analysis was done for the qualitative data.
Results: The study established that education, income level, costs associated with seeking care, distance and time taken to travel were significantly associated with maternity healthcare services utilisation. Quality of service, staff attitude and women’s autonomy showed consistent significant association with maternal health care utilisation.
Conclusions: The study concludes that; costs of treatment, distance and time, income level, staff attitude and women’s autonomy were critical in determining women utilisation of maternity care services.
Recommendation: As an outcome of this research, best practice framework has been developed. The framework presents a coherent and systematic approach for achieving sustainable MH by providing a roadmap for instituting measures at the policy, health facility, community and at the individual levels, taking into account factors that are likely to promote or impede the achievement of sustainable MH.

Export search results

The export option will allow you to export the current search results of the entered query to a file. Different
formats are available for download. To export the items, click on the button corresponding with the preferred download format.

By default, clicking on the export buttons will result in a download of the allowed maximum amount of items.

To select a subset of the search results, click "Selective Export" button and make a selection of the items you want to export.
The amount of items that can be exported at once is similarly restricted as the full export.

After making a selection, click one of the export format buttons. The amount of items that will be exported is indicated in the bubble next to export format.